Digital Twin
We improve physical assets management through their digital copies
Applied Innovation
This is an innovative process often used in the industrial sector, more specifically for products, services and projects developed by the company.
Digital Twin: about it and what it consists of
Digital twins are virtual replicas of physical products, which allow their various characteristics to be analyzed thanks to a digital copy.
The digital copy perfectly reproduces the physical product and allows changes and improvements to be made without carrying out tests and trials on the physical asset.
Furthermore, a digital copy will be able to predict the future performance of the product thanks to certain algorithms based on A.I., or Artificial Intelligence.
Digital Twins are normally used in the industrial sector for the design of machinery, the development of new products and to monitor the various phases of construction and implementation of a physical asset.
Below we will provide you with the exact definition of Digital Twin, specify the characteristics of this innovative tool and describe the various types of Digital Twin.
The meaning of Digital Twin
In recent years, the Digital Twin concept has been enjoying great success and there are currently many companies that have decided use on digital copies to test and improve their products (physical assets).
The fundamental principle of this concept is that there is a digital equivalent of a physical entity or asset and that it comes to life in the “virtual world”.
Thanks to Digital Twins, it is therefore possible to duplicate products and assets from the real world into the digital one, and thereby perform tests, simulations, trials and other activities aimed at better understanding the characteristics, methods of use and strengths/weaknesses of a physical asset.
In order to duplicate a real world asset and then transform it into a virtual copy, a company can use the following technologies:
3D
SIMULATION
IOT
4G/5G
BIG DATA
BLOCKCHAIN
EDGE
CLOUD COMPUTING
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
(A.I.)
These technologies are used to project the physical asset into the digital world and thereby construct a perfect copy of the physical product.
It is also a new business opportunity for IT service providers, IT system developers and so on. On the other hand, companies will have the opportunity to study the product under development (or already developed) in detail, improve it and consequently remain competitive on the market.
Benefits deriving from the use of Digital Twin
BUSINESS PROCESS
IMPROVEMENT
IMPROVEMENT
IN THE OPERATION OF
MACHINES, INTERCONNECTED
SYSTEMS AND
COMPANY ASSETS
CRITICAL
ISSUE IDENTIFICATION
IDENTIFICATION
OF IMPROVEMENTS
THAT CAN BE MADE WITHOUT
NECESSARILY TESTING
THEM ON A PHYSICAL ASSET
ANALYSIS OF THE STATUS OF
AN ASSET’S HEALTH
PREDICT THE FUTURE STATUS
OF AN ASSET
Digital Twin Types and Categorization
Digital Twin Prototype - DTP
Leaving aside Bitcoin and Cryptocurrencies, Blockchains are also very useful for the development of particular tracking networks.
This is a system that, above all, is useful for tracking products in the various production chains.
This technology can be useful in the agri-food sector. The Digital Twin Prototype (DTP) includes Digital Twins models whose goal is the creation of a product.
It therefore relates to the drawings, analyzes and various steps that need to be followed for the development of the product.
DTP is a prototype of the physical asset, the “master copy” of the actual product. It contains information relating to various operating parameters, product characteristics, attributes, codes and much more.
Indeed, a certain product entered into the network (and validated by the blocks), will remain there forever, unchanged and available to everyone.
Digital Twin Instance - DTI
Digital Twin Instance (DTI), on the other hand, represents every single step or procedure needed for the final construction of the product. A Digital Twin will therefore focus on a certain instance of the product.
A DTI is created by the DTP and represents the virtual twin of a physical asset. It remains connected to it throughout its life cycle.
It contains data relating to the usage conditions of a physical asset, i.e. all the information concerning the product or asset while it is being used.
Data is acquired via sensors, service records and so on. In addition, please note that with the passage of time, a DTI can be enhanced by further operational data recorded during use of the product or asset.
Digital Twin Aggregate - DTA
Lastly, Digital Twin Aggregate (DTA) is a DTI aggregator that includes a large amount of data and information on the physical product.
It can be used to find answers to questions related to a physical asset, to carry out various types of simulations or even to make forecasts.
